NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Docket 62-91]
Foreign-Trade Zone 22--Chicago,
IL; Application for Subzone, Abbott
Pharmaceutical Plant, North Chicago, IL
Thursday, October 31, 1991
An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the
Board) by the Illinois International Port District, grantee of Foreign-
Trade Zone 22, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the
pharmaceutical and medical products manufacturing plant of Abbott
Laboratories, Inc., located in the North Chicago, Illinois, area. The
application was submitted pursuant to the provisions of the Foreign
-Trade Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a- 81u), and the regulations of
the Board (15 CFR part 400). It was formally filed on October 22, 1991.
Abbott is a worldwide producer of health care products with annual sales of
over $5 billion. Some 35 percent of its sales are in international markets.
The Abbott manufacturing and research complex covers 6 sites (1,250 acres)
in North Chicago and adjacent Lake County, Illinois, 40 miles north of
Chicago. The facilities (10,000 employees) are used to produce a range of
pharmaceuticals, medicaments, and laboratory and medical products. Primary
product lines include antibiotics and vasodilators. Some of the materials
used at the plant are purchased from abroad, including beta keto ester,
cyclohexalketal and hexalketal reagents, tribromoanaline, 2, 4
difluoroanaline, lincomycin, methylprednisolone, succinic anhydride, and
flexible pipetting stations.
Zone procedures would exempt Abbott from Customs duty payments on foreign
materials used in its exports. On its domestic sales, the company would be
able to choose the lower finished product duty rates (3.7-13.5%). The duty
rates on the foreign materials range from 5.3 to 18.6 percent. The
application indicates that zone procedures would help improve the plant's
international competitiveness.
In accordance with the Board's regulations, an examiners committee has been
appointed to investigate the application and report to the Board. The
committee consists of: Dennis Puccinelli (Chairman), Foreign-Trade Zones
staff, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; Richard Roster,
District Director, U.S. Customs Service, North Central Region, 610 South
Canal Street, Chicago, IL 60607; and, Lt. Colonel Randall R. Inouye,
District Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer District Chicago, 111 North Canal
Street, Chicago, IL 60606. Comments concerning the proposed subzone are
invited in writing from interested parties. They should be addressed to the
Board's Executive Secretary at the address below and postmarked on or
before December 12, 1991.
A copy of the application is available for public inspection at each of the
following locations:
U.S. Department of Commerce, District Office,
Mid-Continental Plaza, room 1406,
55 East Monroe Street,
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Office of the Executive Secretary,
Foreign-Trade Zones Board,
U.S. Department of Commerce, room 3716,
14th & Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20230.
Dated: October 24, 1991.
John J. DaPonte, Jr.,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 91-26307 Filed 10-30-91; 8:45 am]